Technical Field
The invention relates generally to egg incubators. More particularly, the invention relates to converting a multi-stage egg incubator to a single-stage egg incubator.
Background
In one prior art multi-stage egg incubator a standard incubator setter typically holds about 95,000 eggs. The internal space of the setter typically includes six ages of eggs incubating at the same time. The older eggs produce heat, which can elevate the temperature of the younger eggs. Conversely, the younger eggs lower the temperature of the older eggs. The environmental conditions that are ideal for a two day old egg may be less than optimal for, and even harmful to a seventeen day old egg. Multi-stage incubators generally include an environmental control system which maintains an internal environment of the setter that will work for all the eggs regardless of their age, but is generally not optimum for all stages of egg development.
Due to scientific advancement in the understanding of egg embryo development in chickens, single-stage egg incubators are now often more desirable than multi-stage incubators. In a single-stage egg incubator, all of the eggs to be incubated are loaded into the incubator setter at the same time. Because all of the eggs in the setter are the same age, an operator has the ability to tailor the environment to provide an optimum setter environment for all eggs during each stage of development. For example, in the initial stage of embryo development, or endothermic stage of development, the embryos are incapable of creating sufficient heat to maintain proper development, and must rely on an external heat source. As such, heat must be provided to the eggs in order to maintain viability and promote egg development. Single-stage egg incubators typically include a heating source to maintain an internal temperature within the setter sufficient to support egg development. Because the eggs are all at the same stage of development, single-stage egg incubators typically allow the temperature of the setter to be maintained at a temperature optimum for all eggs during the endothermic stage of development.
As the embryos develop, the eggs become capable of producing heat sufficient to maintain development without an external heat source, often referred to as the exothermic stage of development. At a certain point in the exothermic stage of egg development, the embryos produce heat in excess of that optimum for development, which if uncontrolled, would allow the internal environment of the setter to reach a temperature too warm and could jeopardize proper development or viability. During the exothermic stage of development, cooling must be provided to the interior of the setter to maintain optimal temperature for development. Single-stage egg incubators typically include a cooling source which allows for such control. Once again, because all eggs are at a similar point in development, the temperature within the setter can be maintained at a temperature optimum for all eggs. Because single-stage egg incubators allow for tailored environmental control optimum for all stages of egg development, single-stage egg incubators typically provide chicks of overall improved quality upon hatching as compared to those incubated with a multi-stage egg incubator.
In order to obtain the benefits of single-stage egg incubators, the current practice requires hatcheries to remove existing multi-stage egg incubators and replace them with single-stage egg incubators. However, the cost of replacing a multi-stage incubator with a single-stage incubator is significant, as a single-stage incubator can be cost prohibitive.
In addition, prior art single-stage incubators and multi-stage egg incubators provide environmental control which is less than optimal. For example, prior art multi-stage and single-stage egg incubators typically have two heating zones within their setter interior, but only one cooling zone consisting of the entire incubator setter interior. More specifically, a single air intake duct typically feeds outside air over a cooling source mounted longitudinally within the interior of the incubator, which in turn provides cooling to the entire the incubator interior. In contrast, heating is typically controlled within two discrete zones, a front zone and a rear zone, by regulating temperature of discrete heating sources mounted in each zone. In certain circumstances, this setup can prove inefficient. For example, there could be a need for heating in one incubator zone and a simultaneous need for cooling in another incubator zone to maintain an optimal internal setter temperature for all embryos. In prior art multi-stage and single-stage egg incubators, because cooling is controlled simultaneously throughout the setter interior, in order to achieve cooling within the incubator front zone, the rear zone is also cooled. As a result, in order to heat the rear setter zone, the temperature of the heat source in the rear zone must be increased to overcome the cooling effect desired for the front zone. The competition between the heat source and cooling source under such circumstances results in increased energy consumption and operational costs to achieve the desired temperature equilibrium within the incubator setter.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for an economically advantageous alternative to replacing multi-stage egg incubators with single-stage incubators in order to obtain the benefits of the latter, as well as a single-stage egg incubator which provides improved environmental control with increased efficiency.
The disclosed subject matter satisfies these needs by providing a kit and method for converting a multi-stage egg incubator to a single stage egg incubator which eliminates the need to replace existing multi-stage egg incubators with single-stage egg incubators, thereby significantly decreasing the cost of obtaining the benefits of a single-stage egg incubator. In addition, the single-stage egg incubator conversion kit and method provide improved environmental control within the egg incubator, thereby providing the ability to optimize egg development.